Greetings Friends,

10 months since 5 peace activists went onto Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor with hammers, bolt cutters, a banner, blood, and hearts full of hope for nuclear abolition, those same 5 members of Disarm Now Plowshares have been indicted and face charges of trespass, conspiracy, and destruction of government property. In response to these charges the activists say that according to international law these nuclear weapon...s, which indiscriminately kill and murder, are illegal. Furthermore, according to their faith these weapons are immoral and a grave sin.

The Disarm Now Plowshares defendants will be arraigned on Friday, October 8, 2010 at 1:30 PM in courtroom F before Judge Karen L. Strombom at the U.S. District Courthouse in Tacoma.

This will be an important day for the five Disarm Now defendants - Sr. Anne Montgomery, Fr, Bill "Bix" Bichsel, Susan Crane, Lynne Greenwald and Fr. Steve Kelly - and they would love to have as many supporters as possible to join them on the 8th.

Here is the day's schedule:

11:30 AM - Meet at Guadalupe House (Tacoma Catholic Worker),
12:00 PM - Walk to the courthouse
12:30 to 1:00 - Vigil, prayer service and leafleting in front of courthouse
1:00 - prepare for arraignment (some will stay outside with leaflets and banners)

You are welcome to join us at Guadalupe House or at the courthouse. I hope you can join us in supporting these dedicated peacemakers who have put their lives on the line in the struggle to abolish nuclear weapons.

Guadalupe House is located at 1417 South G Street. Click here for the location on Google Maps.

The U.S. District Courthouse is located at 1717 Pacific Ave. Click here for map, driving directions and parking information.

Please note that everyone wishing to enter the courtroom must pass through a security checkpoint; photo ID is required and nothing remotely resembling a weapon please. Also, there is NO photography allowed past the security checkpoint.

Hundreds of people have signed a support letter for these activists, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu (I've attached his letter with this email). You can sign on in support and keep up to date at http://disarmnowplowshares.wordpress.com/.

Peace,

Leonard

Leonard Eiger, Media and Outreach Co-Coordinator
Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action; www.gzcenter.org
Email: subversivepeacemaking (at) comcast (dot) net
Blog: http://nuclearabolitionist.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://subversivepeacemaking.blogspot.com/